Left Fronts ups the ante against power tariff hike in Bengal

Slamming the Mamata Banerjee government for the steep hike in power tariff in West Bengal, the Left Front on Thursday asserted it will speak in a language which the ruling Trinamool Congress understood.

Addressing a two-day sit in demonstration by the Front here against the "unprecedented" hike in power tariffs, leader of opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said the Banerjee regime was "afraid" of a dialogue with the opposition on the issue.

"We will not sit quite until the hike is rolled back.A The chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) and her power minister do not want to listen to our demands. It seems they are afraid of talking to us.

"It's not only the Left Front members who are affected, but people across the society have been affected. Irrespective of their political affiliation, people should come ahead and join this movement. We will have to talk in a language which they understand," said Mishra, also the Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary.

The Kolkata district committee of the Front staged a two-day demonstration outside the offices of the state electricity board (SEB) and the CESC - a private company supplying power to the city and adjoining areas.

Claiming that after the Trinamool came to power in 2011, the hike by the CESC has been over 61 percent while the hike in SEB areas has been over 43 percent, the Front has called for building a statewide mass movement demanding rollback of the hike.

It also sought an appointment with Governor K.N. Tripathi to apprise him about the issue and announced a march to Lal Bazar - the city police headquarters on Oct 1.